What is Life?

[Beez]

Lately I've been wondering what is life? Not so much the purpose of life, just more of why is life the way that it is? It's such a strange thing. Everywhere I go, there I am. I have always thought of things like "when I grow up" and "when I'm in the real world" but I am grown up, and I have always been in the real world, I will just move from one part of that world to another part of that world. Why is that? Why will everything stay the same, why is everything unchanging, no matter where I go things will be the same. Even different cultures in different parts of the world are essentially the same as our culture here.

Why do I need to eat food to live? Why is it soooo normal to eat meat and sooo strange for someone to chose to stay away from meat?

Why is pregnancy and birth the way that it is? Why don't humans give birth differently? It's so strange, but to everyone its normal and it will never change(unless people clone each other instead)

Why is it so important for so many people to be normal? Why do some people have absolutely no imagination?

Finally, why is the idea of life bothering me so much?

 

[Anthile]

Genes.

 

[nickgray]

You can try going to another habitable planet, but something tells me you won't have much luck with that.

Finally, why is the idea of life bothering me so much?

Endure. In enduring grow strong.

 

[flow]

"What is life? Life is like a big obstacle, in front of your optical to slow your down. And every time you think you've gotten past it it's gonna come back around and tackle you to the damn ground."

-Eminem on 'If I Had', off of his first major LP, The Slim Shady LP.

 

[transformers]

Lately I've been wondering what is life? Not so much the purpose of life, just more of why is life the way that it is? It's such a strange thing. Everywhere I go, there I am. I have always thought of things like "when I grow up" and "when I'm in the real world" but I am grown up, and I have always been in the real world, I will just move from one part of that world to another part of that world. Why is that? Why will everything stay the same, why is everything unchanging, no matter where I go things will be the same. Even different cultures in different parts of the world are essentially the same as our culture here.

Depends what you mean by "essentially". There are many things that are substantially different. But you're right in that, no matter where you go, there you'll be. You can't escape yourself.

Why do I need to eat food to live? Why is it soooo normal to eat meat and sooo strange for someone to chose to stay away from meat?

Food = energy. And in some parts of the world, eating meat is considered immoral. In any case, the body doesn't care where it's getting food from, as long as it's getting it. Makes no difference on a cellular level.

Why is pregnancy and birth the way that it is? Why don't humans give birth differently? It's so strange, but to everyone its normal and it will never change(unless people clone each other instead)

Probably because this way has worked for millennia. Other lifeforms do it differently; secreting gametes into the oceanwater, laying eggs on the beach, etc. For humans, fucking each other and laying a baby every nine months seemed to work out pretty well :P In another million years though, maybe it'll be different. Also, cloning is almost the same as giving natural birth, the only difference being that there is one parent instead of two. You'd still need a woman to carry the baby and deliver it (for now anyway).

Why is it so important for so many people to be normal?

Because being abnormal can lead to serious problems. It makes you a target in society, and makes receiving support from others more difficult. If you're not able to compensate by supporting yourself, it's going to take a toll on your mental health.

Why do some people have absolutely no imagination?

They might not exercise it much, but everyone has an imagination. It's part of being human.

Finally, why is the idea of life bothering me so much?

Natural curiosity, a desire for an explanation to the bigger things in life in order to explain the smaller, base events. You're trying to control your experience of life by analyzing it.

 

[Da Blob]

Why? is the question I keep asking even though i do not expect an answer (Just yet) I think a lot of people 'cop out' and settle for the answer to the question, How? - which can be answered by scientific means. Yet deep within their hearts, I believe the unresolved WHY? echoes back and forth. Personally I do not know How a person can keep from asking the question, WHY?

What is life? This we find out at the end of it...

 

[merzbau]

life is a paradox.
some questions cannot be answered because doing so destroys their meaning.
one person's profoundity is another person's babbling.
if you want proper wisdom - "reality is a metaphor in which we quest to find answers to the greater truth of who we are and why we are here."

 

[bananaphallus]

I find the lack of any discernible purpose or meaning to life both exceedingly frustrating/liberating.

 

[transformers]

I find the lack of any discernible purpose or meaning to life both exceedingly frustrating/liberating.

same.

 

[JUN]

Huh, what is life ?

You are life, learn who you are, learn what life is. If you understand how you work, look around you and see your equals, you'll understand that they're also life (or at least in lack of proof if they're life or not you'll just have to assume they are in order to avoid some nasty conflict).

There's nothing complicated about life, life is what you see, what you get. A mesh of cause-effect, a mesh of wills, a mesh of war and a mesh of love, just take it for what you're told. Don't worry about what life is, even if it isn't what you think it is... It's because you're not supposed to know what life really is.

So enjoy life and what you don't know and know about it. Enjoy what little hedonistic purpose you seem to have here and allow others to enjoy themselves too.

Ah, and create your own purpose, that's an important thing for happiness... Or maybe not. Some people manage to be happy without purposes so... yeah.

 

[Melkor]

I think the major problem with human logic is that we assume EVERY question must have an answer.

But I tell you..

"What is life?" is as equally answerable as 'How when ever are they tulips not same flying?"

Have a nice day!

 

[Beez]

I started this thread, and I think that standard procedure would be to continue to respond to your posts. I really like all the thing that everyone has said, I feel like it turned into a good discussion. I just don't have any more to contribute, is that ok? Or should I post responses to your responses?

 

[Murphy1d]

Preemptive sorry......I can't get my mental remix of this song out of my head. Think "Night at the Roxbury."

"What is Life? - Baby don't hurt me, baby don't hurt me, no mo."

 

[Nicholas A. A. E.]

All questions which are properly constructed (semantically) have answers. I'm pretty sure. Anyone with a counterexample?

 

[Da Blob]

I started this thread, and I think that standard procedure would be to continue to respond to your posts. I really like all the thing that everyone has said, I feel like it turned into a good discussion. I just don't have any more to contribute, is that ok? Or should I post responses to your responses?

I do not think there is a standard of etiquette in this format. You asked a question and you receive answers...If you wish some answers to be elaborated upon you might ask for clarification or if your found certain answers thought provoking you may wish to respond with the thoughts provoked..

However, this is your thread, you participate as you enjoy doing so...

 

[Zero]

Life is, quite literally, the animation of trillions of cells, micro-organism, chemicals and such processes that contribute to a whole.

 

[cheese]

I think this is another one of those verbal templates that mask the underlying intent, which is communication of feeling.

Beez has mentally decontextualised herself, and is seeing the world again through a child's eyes. "Why is anything the way it is?" simply means, "God, this is weird" because she no longer has any standards of normality, and 'this' is everything.

Beez ---> amazed.

World ---> -_-


*edit
Guess.

 

[severus]

Life is whatever way because of
chance. ?
This one whole scenario of Life here may be one in a billion, but we don't get to see all the other scenarios, failed or successful.

A rock is lying in the middle of the street. Why is it in this particular spot? Statistically, it's highly unlikely for it to end up right :there: as opposed to, say, two cm to the left. But in our scenario, it got to be part of Take 54,000,9001 where the rock ends up right :there:. Y'know?

I feel that way about technology/"modern" stuff sometimes. Houses, cars, telephones. Anything really. Fucking polyester. How did all this HAPPEN? Why aren't we living in caves? But if you go far enough back, you can trace all the developments and see how they lead to Where We Are Now.

that's related, yes?....

 

[warryer]

I'm with Da Blob on this one, something that we won't know the answer to until this life is over. I'm gonna have a big 'what the fuck?' waiting for whatever is on the otherside if any.

I wonder the same thing, this is the single thought that consumes me. And its frustrating because I know I can never find the true answer. So I simply try not to think about it.

One thing that I always wonder about is hands and fingers. I mean, why did they turn out that way? Just look at them they are so strange. It almost disgusts me. Why did we turn out with two arms and legs, wouldn't wheels be much more efficient? Or three arms?

My latest thought is that life is simply another function of the universe. But why the universe? Why earth? Why? WHY?!?!

 

[Beez]

"Why is anything the way it is?" simply means, "God, this is weird" because she no longer has any standards of normality, and 'this' is everything.

This is actually really close to what I'm thinking. I don't understand what "normal" is. I spent a lot of time trying to be "normal" but it just leaves me feeling lost and confused. I don't understand what what life is, why it is, what normal is, how to be(or at least pretend to be) normal.

I always thought that I was normal, but in the past year it has been brought to my attention, by many different people, that I am weird and different. The results of the MBTI proved that I am weird, that everyone else is more "normal" than me.

So I started searching for the definition of normal, and I've just lost understanding of life. I wish I could find it again, or at least a better sense of who I am, and what the world is.